A Man On The Run
by Kurt's Anatomy
Summary: While hiding from the police, Jesse Pinkman stumbles across a treehouse that just so happens to belong to a boy at the end of his tether. When the tether snaps, Kurt Hummel finds himself in a life he never would have imagined for himself.
1. The Den

A Man On The Run

Chapter 1- The Den

* * *

 _Like some kind of sexual predator!_

Finn's words ring in his ears as he slams the back door shut. He has no time for politeness right now. He's angry and he needs to calm down. He doesn't care that he's being loud and boisterous. For right now, Kurt Hummel _needs_ to be loud and boisterous before he turns to his so called step-brother to be and says something that will cascade upon his entire family and ruin everything that his father has worked for with Carole. He loves his father too much to let anything as banal as a Finn Hudson insult sting him to the point of destruction.

So he does what he always does when he needs to calm down. Climbs the ladder up the sanctuary he built when he was seven. His treehouse. He calls it 'The Den' because it was created to be anything that Kurt wanted it to be. A nail salon, recording studio, yoga room, anything that Kurt needed at that moment, he would turn it into exactly that. The Hummel property is very large and the treehouse combines of several small rooms, connected by a sizable corridor that traverses the space of several large trees in the backyard. Kurt spent a lot of time decorating it for many purposes when he was younger but he's more than thankful for it now that he needs space away from the main house.

Now it would serve the purpose of a calm zone, a peaceful room in which he can escape the anxieties and anger he feels about the situation with Finn and return to the house when he's feeling better. That's the mature thing to do. Although Kurt doesn't like the easy idea of Finn sitting in their room and not even caring about the words he just spat out. It wasn't fair, but that was the way it would be for now. Kurt would deal with it later when he was more relaxed and could talk to Finn the way an adult would.

His arms and legs climb the rope ladder the same way he did when he built the thing: steady, sure and quick. It takes only a few seconds for him to clamber inside the space and he surveys it, checking that everything is the same since the last time he came in here to vent about Mercedes' overbearing attitude to nobody but himself. He nods when he sees that his relaxation pod, as he calls it today, was definitely the right call.

Kurt lies down in the middle of the floor, staring up at the numerous movie posters he has on his ceiling. Despite when the student body thinks about Kurt's attitude towards musicals, he much prefers movies. He loves the classics as well as modern indies. He loves watching movies again to find meanings that he hadn't previously discovered. He loves finding new ones to watch and falling in love with different actors' performances.

He's fixating on his poster of Marlon Brando's Stanley Kowalski when he hears it. A rumble, not too far away, but definitely contained inside the treehouse.

"The fuck…" Kurt hisses and slowly rises to his knees, shuffling towards the corridor. He quickly navigates it and slides into the next room, where his space themed memorabilia lies. Oh, and the half-naked man that's crouching behind one of the boxes.

"Excuse me!" Kurt throws the empty box to the floor, revealing the man properly. His shirtless body is well toned, covered in a light layer of body hair, not too much. If Kurt appreciates the sight, he doesn't let on.

"Uh…hey," The man replies.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm nobody. You didn't see me here."

Kurt rolls his eyes. "Oh, my bad, I didn't realise we were going around the circle and each saying something completely stupid. I'll repeat my question. Who…the fuck…are you?"

The man sighs and crawls out from behind the box. He sits in the middle of the floor, hands moving along the floor as he talks. "The name's Jesse. I'm kind of in a bit of a legal…bind right now, so I was just hiding up here until I could sort something out. That cool, man?"

Kurt folds his arms, sitting cross-legged opposite Jesse. "Is that _cool_?"

"Okay, I guess not. Look, I'm gonna beg you now, bro, just let me chill here for a little while and I'll do something for you. I got cash."

"I have money, that's not something I need. What I need is for you to get the hell out of my den. And don't call me 'bro'."

"It's a pretty sweet setup you got, man," Jesse remarks.

"Not that either. And you don't seem to be listening. Either that or you're just remarkably terrible at deflection."

"What can I say? I'm terrible at deflection. What's the harm in me sitting up here quietly for an hour or so?"

"You're disturbing my quiet time."

Jesse shrugs. "If you go back in that other room, you won't even know I'm here."

"Oh, I will. It's not every day a good-looking man sits shirtless in the middle of my treehouse."

"You think I'm good looking?"

Kurt rolls his eyes. "Oh, get over yourself. But I suppose you can stay here just for a little bit. And then you have to leave. I'll check back tonight and if you're still here, I'll bring my dad's shotgun out. And believe me when I say that I know how to use it."

"I doubt you've ever used it before," Jesse comments smartly.

"I've never needed to before," Kurt fires back.

Jesse raises an eyebrow. "Not even to deal with whatever you were shouting about in the house?"

Kurt visibly deflates and puts his head down.

"Sore subject?"

Kurt shakes his head, still looking down. "I'd just prefer not to talk about it."

Jesse shrugs. "Whatever, man, but I've got nowhere else to go for an hour and it seems like you need to get something off your chest."

Kurt perks up a little bit and smiles. "Okay, basically," he says and begins launching into the saga that is Kurt Hummel and Finn Hudson. He recounts everything from the stupid crush to the lamp incident to tonight's incident, which was pretty much a continuation of the lamp incident but with harsher words said.

"So that brings us to what happened tonight," Kurt adds.

 _Finn traipsed into the room, tripping over Kurt's chair. Kurt bit his lip to refrain from sighing and/or laughing at him. Finn hated it when people laughed at him, even though he more than set himself up for it and did so many times even that day._

" _Hey dude, so you know that the Glee Club wants us to duet at mom and Burt's wedding…"_

 _Kurt knew that this would come. Not the time or the place, but he knew that Finn was going to end up having this particular conversation with him and that it wasn't going to end well._

" _Yeah, I think it's a good idea. Shows solidarity and family and all that other stuff."_

 _Finn fidgeted, like he didn't want to say it. But Kurt wanted him to. Or else it would just get bottled up in the things that Finn always wished he could say._

" _Say it, Finn," Kurt urged, his tone dropping and becoming cold instantly._

" _I don't think we should do it. I mean, I don't want to do it."_

 _Kurt hit his beats exactly. A pause. A sigh. A question that he already knew the answer to. "Why not?"_

 _Finn leaned against the wall. "Things are just getting good again with Rachel. I don't want anything to disrupt that, not now."_

" _And why would us doing a duet at the wedding disrupt that?"_

Jesse interrupted with the same question.

Kurt held up a finger. "You realise I'm literally about to answer that question in the story, right?"

Jesse snorted. "Go on."

 _Finn shrugged. "People would talk."_

" _Bullshit, Finn," Kurt chuckled. "This isn't about Rachel or people talking. It's about you feel uncomfortable singing a song with me."_

" _No it's not."_

 _Kurt just stared. "That was the weakest lie I've ever heard. Just admit it, Finn, that you're scared of singing a song with me because you think it'll make you gay."_

" _I'm not gay!"_

 _Kurt frowned. "Yes, Finn. I know. You've spent the last month making sure I know that. Look, I just thought we could do something nice for our parents on their wedding day, but if you're going to be selfish about this once again, then I don't know what else to say."_

"I'm _being selfish?"_

" _Is that to imply that I'm the one being selfish?"_

" _Yes. No. I don't know. But what I do know, Kurt, is that last year you would've jumped at the chance to sing a duet with me. How do I know that this is any different?"_

" _Because I'm completely over my crush on you, Finn. Believe me, it takes me a while to remember why I actually liked you in the first place."_

" _How do I know that? We're living together, Kurt. I have to feel safe here."_

 _Kurt's blood ran cold. "Are you saying that you don't feel safe here? Because if you don't, maybe you should say something about it."_

"Why did you tell him to say something about it?"

Kurt stared at Jesse, hard. "Why did you have to interrupt? I'm literally almost done."

"I just wanted to ask a question."

"If we can save all questions until the end, that'd be wonderful."

 _Finn shrugged. "If we're being all honest, I definitely look twice before I get out of the shower."_

 _Kurt smirked. "Why? Because you think I'm going to be there, waiting for you around the corner ready to molest you? Is that what you think?"_

 _Finn's silence confirmed everything Kurt needed to know._

"Okay, stop, I get the story now, I don't want to hear the rest."

Kurt turns to Jesse. "All else that happens is that he says I act like a sexual predator and then I storm out and…well, you know the rest."

Jesse's knuckles are turning white. "Man, that guy's an asshole. You should beat the shit out of him."

"Okay, he's six feet, five inches tall and the quarterback. What makes you think I could beat him up?"

Jesse shrugs. "You're angry. And it's not always about physical standing. I'm not the tallest or biggest guy but I can always hold my own in a fight."

"Sounds like you've been in a lot of them."

"A fair few. Comes with the territory I guess."

Kurt eyes him suspiciously. "Territory? Ah, is this the reason you're on the run from the law?"

"I think you're better off not knowing."

"Try me."

Jesse shrugs again. "Okay. Well me and my partner are running a meth lab and I may have just killed a person an hour ago."

"You _may_ have just killed a person."

"I shot him and ran. I don't know if he's dead or alive."

"Well, where did you shoot him?"

"Stomach."

"So depending on if there was anybody around him or if he had a phone, chances are quite high that he survived."

Jesse sighs, seemingly relieved. "And that makes you an accomplice in attempted murder."

Kurt smiles plainly and picks out a few words from a recent episode of Law and Order. "After the fact. Much easier to tactically combat in court."

Jesse takes a moment to just look at Kurt and wonder who the fuck this guy is. He's very attractive. Jesse's comfortably bisexual but this guy is hot enough to make him want to give up girls forever just to have him. Jesse absently wonders if he's eighteen.

"I turned eighteen two weeks ago."

"But you said you were a junior?"

Kurt turns sombre. "I missed a year of school after my mom died. Had to repeat."

Jesse just nods, not knowing what else to say.

"Okay, I'm going to go back inside now. And I'll be checking to see if you're still lurking. Thanks for…listening, I guess."

"Hey, wait a minute. I can't go not knowing whether or not you're gonna beat up your step-brother."

Kurt's lips tighten. "I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon."

Jesse blinks. "Okay, so I'll do it. Just give me a picture of him and I'll take care of it. He can't just get away with saying shit like that."

Kurt rolls his eyes. "And he _won't_. You seriously think I'm just going to roll over and let him speak to me like that in my own house?"

Jesse can't explain the sudden feeling that sweeps over him, but he's sure it isn't good. "Fair point."

"Exactly. Oh, and Jesse, if you need somewhere else to hide, try the gas station not too far from here. The back door of the store is broken so it'll be open."

"Thanks," Jesse nods as Kurt climbs down the ladder. He doesn't want to ask how the hell Kurt knows about that, he's not entirely sure that he wants the answer.

"Maybe we'll see each other again, maybe not."

"I'll be coming back to check on whether or not you've taken care of Finn."

He isn't sure if Kurt hears him or not.

Whether Kurt hears him or not, Jesse promises himself that he's going to come back. He can't not know how the story ends now. Screw Walt and his impending lecture about focusing on the task at hand. Jesse's barely anything more than a delivery boy in this current meth climate anyway so he doesn't really see what the fuss is about. Anyway, avoiding the police is his number one priority for the moment, even Walt would probably agree.

So Jesse draws his knees up and just waits until he think it might be safe to move and silently thanks himself that he has an excuse to return to the treehouse.


	2. Coming Around Again

Chapter 2- Coming Around Again

* * *

Jesse presses his back flat against the wall, breathing hard.

God damn it.

He had spoken to Walt that night about their next move evading the police. The older man had vehemently advised to just keep to himself and stay inside, but Jesse was adamant to leave to see how Kurt was doing. He had left it a few days, but he couldn't sit idly by without knowing if justice had been served.

Jesse doesn't know when he turned into such a do-gooder, but he finds that he didn't exactly mind that too much, especially if Kurt's wellbeing was concerned. He doesn't know what the deal was with that, but something about Kurt makes him feel attached. Maybe he reminds him of his little brother, maybe he just doesn't like to see people getting hurt. That doesn't sound very Jesse Pinkman of him, though.

It's hard to stay on the run, Jesse thinks. Especially when the area's law enforcement know exactly who you are and exactly where you've been. Jesse's still suspicious of whatever information Schrader might be getting from Walt. The only problem with their partnership is that Walt would sell him out in a heartbeat if his secret was in jeopardy. It isn't a very stable way to go about it, but it's worked well enough for them so far. And Jesse's making money so he can't complain.

But he had underestimated how much the owner of one of his hideouts was going to intrigue him. Everything about Kurt manages to make his brain ache. The way he talked, the way he moved, the way he _was_. His eyes had held so many secrets but managed to be as transparent as glass at the same time. The boy is truly an enigma. And Jesse wants desperately to figure him out. Call it curiosity, call it attachment, whatever, Jesse doesn't know how to classify it. All he knows is that Kurt's safety is suddenly a priority for him. He's not sure he minds that, but it would be nice to know that he doesn't have to actually _worry_ about Kurt. Despite his protests, Jesse is sure that Kurt can more than handle himself in a fight. According to him, he has a decent knowledge of how to fire a shotgun, so a fist fight is a piece of cake compared to that. Jesse doesn't care how tall or buff Finn might be. Hey, Kurt can always kick him in the groin.

Jesse ducks and vaults over the wall, landing hard on the grass. He darts behind a tree to avoid being seen by anybody besides Kurt in the Hummel household. Now wouldn't that be a disaster.

Making sure the coast is clear, Jesse flits forward and latches onto the treehouse steps. He climbs quickly, sure that Kurt knows he's going up there. That's not important, Jesse thinks, since he's there for the purpose of actually seeing Kurt.

He only has to wait minutes before a shadow looms over him.

"I thought I might find you here again, but I never would have thought you would bring binoculars."

Kurt is stood, crossing his arms and smirking down at Jesse.

Jesse drops the binoculars and scrambles away from them.

"God Kurt, you startled me. But It isn't what you think. I was trying to get a good look inside so that I might see Finn. And I did. You really hit him?"

Kurt raises an eyebrow. "Did you think I wasn't going to?"

"You protested when I said it."

"Look, I got angry, okay? He made a scene at Friday night dinner and that's not okay with me. They're a tradition between me and my dad. After he had his arrhythmia, I started to take them more seriously. And Finn seriously fucked it up. So I picked up the infamous _faggy lamp_ from the story and hit him in the eye with it."

Jesse gapes, clapping slowly and laughing. "Shit, that's hard-core! Congratulations. He's never gonna antagonise you again."

Kurt groans. "I wish that were true. Now my friends think I'm some deranged masochist and my father wants me to start anger management therapy."

"That sounds…dramatic."

"Oh, believe me it is. Anyway, enough about me. I'm glad to see that you haven't been incarcerated yet. How's the meth trade?"

Jesse exhales, remembering why he had first stumbled upon Kurt in the first place. There was always something about his visits to the treehouse that brought him into a haze of distraction. "Slow, if you'd believe that. My partner and I are having some issues. His brother works for the DEA and…"

"Wait a second. This guy's brother works for the DEA and he's making meth right under his nose? That's…both genius and completely stupid at the same time. He's basically setting himself up to fail."

"Loving this vote of confidence."

Kurt rolls his eyes "You know what I mean. You're surely considered that this might blow up in your face."

"I have. Believe me, when I found out I was furious. But we've been clever so far."

Kurt shrugged. "As long as you know what you're doing. Or think you do."

Jesse thinks of something suddenly, curiosity killing him. "How did you know about the gas station?"

"I beg your pardon?" Kurt challenges him, flashing his teeth slightly.

"Last time you told me I could hide out in the gas station. It looked like one of those things that you wouldn't know about unless you really knew about it."

"So what's your question?"

"My question _is_ , how did you know about it?"

"Just because I'm not a high profile meth dealer doesn't mean I've never had to run away before."

"Why do I get the feeling that 'Tragic Life Tales With Kurt" is about to become a tradition?"

"Shut up. Do you want to know or not?"

Jesse nods a curious head.

"A few years ago, I was getting bullied quite badly by some jock. He moved to Arkansas last year but before that he was quite vicious. He followed me home and I didn't want my dad to find out so I skipped through a shortcut and ended up at the abandoned gas station. I broke in and hid inside it until he stopped looking for me. I came home late and lied to my dad about it. I don't even know why I'm telling you this."

"Yes you do," Jesse replies knowingly.

"Yes. I suppose I do."

"You needed to tell _someone_. Someone who doesn't know you well enough to judge you but knows you well enough to listen."

Kurt turns his head as he hears his father's voice from inside the house.

"Kurt? Dinner."

He winces, thinking about the interrogation that was going to be waiting for him once he returned to the house. He would rather just stay up here with Jesse.

"That's my cue. You'd better wait a few minutes before leaving. Trust me, you do not want my dad finding you here."

"Noted. Shotguns and all that."

"Exactly. So, I guess I'll see you some other time, the next time you wanna hide out in my treehouse."

"Later, Kurt. Don't let your friends give you shit. Why am I even saying that, you can evidently take care of yourself."

"I'll see you soon, Jesse. Thanks for listening to me. Again."

"Best part of my day."

* * *

The next day, Kurt found himself on the receiving end of a Rachel Berry attack. It wasn't the first time this has happened but it was definitely one of the most infuriating. She turns to him as she sits down and scowls deeply before speaking.

"Kurt. Finn just recounted the story of how his beautiful face was damaged and I think that you have some explaining to do. Finn's face had better heal by the time Sectionals rolls around or else our loss will be all down to you and then you will really be out of sorts with the rest of the club."

Kurt opens his mouth, but Santana has already started speaking.

"Calm down, Berry. Hummel just gave Hudson what's been coming to him for a long time, that's all. And we're not going to lose Sectionals because of a facial deformity. If we were, we wouldn't have won _last_ year's Sectionals as soon as your gigantic toucan beak stepped up to ruin yet another Barbra Streisand classic."

Kurt smiles, grateful for the girl's brutal interjection. "Thank you, Santana. Perfectly put. And whatever happened between Finn and I is between us, not the rest of you. So, I'd thank you Rachel, if you avoided butting in as you usually do. It's getting even more annoying than usual. Anyone else have an issue while we're trading barbs?"

Rachel drops silent.

"Not to agree with Rachel, but we really don't ned any more grievances between club members," Artie pipes up. Santana stares him down.

"Yeah dude, this really isn't cool," Finn acquiesces.

"Good god, this is an intervention!" Kurt chuckles. "I resent being targeted because I have an issue when last year I sat and watched a baby drama, sorry Quinn, cheating scandals, fights over who owns which boy, certain people quitting the club because they couldn't have a solo and lots of other things which I did not make a comment about. So before you get on all of your high horses about me making _grievances_ , take a hard look at yourselves and maybe realise that you're all the pot and I'm the kettle in this little scenario!"

And with that, Kurt storms out of the room, far more dramatically than Rachel had ever done it. He shoots a text to Santana as he stalks through the school, eyes darting about for signs of jocks ready to slushy him.

 _Skipping school for the day. Be my eyes and ears?_

Satisfied, Kurt pushes through the main doors and exhales deeply as he skips school for the first time in his life because of Finn Hudson.

* * *

"Jesse? You up here?" He knew that he wouldn't be, but there was a part of him that wanted him to be.

Spotting a scrap piece of paper he recognised as his own parchment, Kurt retrieved it from the floor.

 _In case you ever need it, here's my number. J._

Kurt smiled at the note and didn't think twice before fishing his phone from his jeans' pocket and calling the number.

"Well, I didn't think you'd call so soon, Kurt."

"How'd you know it was me? Is this your special drug dealer phone?"

"Trust me, nobody ever calls me on this number." Kurt can practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"Ah, of course. That would require having friends."

"Ouch, I'm wounded."

"Shut up."

"What did you need? Are you okay?"

"Rough day at school. I'm being persecuted for causing drama with Finn. I'm getting it from all sides right now. And don't you _dare_ make a joke about that, Jesse."

Jesse chuckled. "Okay. I won't. Do you need to get away for the day?"

"I have school?"

"So ditch, Cameron."

"I already ditched, how do you think I found your note?"

"Touché. Want me to come and pick you up?"

"That'd be great, Jesse. As long as you aren't busy."

"Is your dad in? I can park around the corner if you need me to."

"He's at work. I'm the only one here, you should be fine."

"I'll see you soon, Kurt."

Kurt wondered where Jesse lived, or whether he was just exaggerating the time like Kurt himself often did. He doesn't have to wait long, Jesse's text message coming through roughly thirty minutes after Kurt's phone call.

 _Outside :)_

Kurt takes a second to collect himself before leaping from the treehouse and dashing through the house, excitement in his chest to see Jesse.

Uh oh.

* * *

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

Kurt straps himself in and appraises the boy next to him. "I have to say, it's weird to see you outside of my den. You know, which sunlight above your head. And clothed this time."

"I love how you didn't ask how I lost my shirt. It could've been anything."

"And that's precisely why I didn't ask. I believe we covered the whole 'accomplice in attempted murder' situation last time."

Jesse pales. "So we did."

"If you want to talk about that, 'Tragic Life Tales With Jesse' can become a thing if you need it to."

Jesse shakes his head. "Let's just…drive somewhere first. This is about cheering you up, not me spilling my deep dark thoughts all over the floor of my car. But I appreciate you being here to listen, Kurt."

"Just returning the favour, Jesse. You listened me and gave me advice when we didn't even know each other. That meant a lot to me. Some of my closest friends don't even listen to me."

"The more I hear about your friends in Glee Club, the angrier I get. They seem like awful people."

Kurt shrugs. "They're not so bad…for the most part. My best friend Santana is great, I think you'd like her. She's very much like you in some ways."

"Then I definitely hate her," Jesse chuckles. "Can I ask you a question though?"

"Fire away."

"Why did you continue speaking to me? You know, after you found out?"

"Because none of my other friends have killed people or spend their days making methamphetamine and you did more for me in one hour than they've done in six years. You couldn't be too bad. I'm an excellent judge of character; I wouldn't have spoken with you if I believed you to be a bad person."

Jesse pouts fondly. "I guess that makes sense."

"Can I ask you something in return?"

Jesse shrugs.

"Why don't you care that I'm gay?"

Jesse blinks. It's not much of a question. In fact, he's not entirely sure he even has an answer outside of his own sexuality. Love is love, after all. "I'm bisexual. Even if I wasn't, it's common sense to let people love who they love. Obviously there are some boneheads that don't catch on, but they're not the ones worth worrying about it."

Kurt coughs and says nothing, giving a firm nod in response.

"Why do I get the feeling that you've never heard anybody say that before?"

"Because I haven't," Kurt replies, exasperated. Not with Jesse, but with the situation. "Everybody who has ever accepted me has explained that they've done it because they love me, not specifically because they approve of who I am.

"My dad said he would always love me no matter what. Which is nice, in sentiment, but it doesn't necessarily say that he'll support me or approve of my first boyfriend. It just means that he loves me. It doesn't really make me feel any better about it."

Jesse shakes his head. "I don't know what to tell you, man. Sorry. Kurt. I guess your dad just needs a little education. My…business partner didn't really understand it when I told him, he just needed to do some research. Maybe that'll help the situation."

Kurt purses his lips and stares ahead at the road. "Yeah. Maybe."


	3. Ditch Day Blues

Chapter 3- Ditch Day Blues

* * *

"Are you okay?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You're being quiet. Usually, you're shouting at me or snapping about stupid ingrates that you have to deal with."

"Finn and I rarely see eye to eye, and that's fine and I've made my peace with that, it's just that he doesn't understand that he has more influence in Glee Club and whatever he says is basically law in there. Once they found out what I did, they jumped on my back about it. Only Santana even bothered to say anything in my defence. Don't get me wrong, I don't need her to, but it'd be nice to have some backup in that room. Not just people snapping at _me_ for fucking up Finn's face."

"There it is."

"What?"

"The sassy you I was expecting."

Kurt shoots him a glare. "I'm not a box. There are more than four sides to me."

"A box has six sides, dude."

" _Don't_ call me dude."

Jesse holds up his hands. "Noted."

"Where are we going?"

Jesse adjusts his hands on the steering wheel. "A diner I know, a quiet place. Nobody I know is gonna be there."

Kurt understands the code perfectly and nods. His heart hammers in his chest at the thought of driving around in what could easily be a stolen car or a car bought with drug money. With somebody who knows his way around the law, no less. He is surprised to note that part of him actually _likes_ it? He's never really been one for adventure or criminality, but this is something weird, something that he can't help but feel enamoured by. The thrill of the unknown? The thrill of the illegal? Kurt doesn't know, but it's the very same feeling that had pulled him towards Jesse in the first place.

"Relax, Kurt. Things have been quiet lately. We're moving, but not at our usual rate."

"Isn't this more of a 'the less I know the better' kind of situation?"

Jesse shrugs. "I guess as long as I don't give specifics, it'll be fine. And you don't know my last name or my partner's name, so we'll be okay. You don't have to worry about it, Kurt."

Kurt shakes his head. "I'm not worried. It's kind of enticing."

The car pulls up at a small, out of the way diner.

Kurt and Jesse walk in, the doorbell clanging ominously. Nobody's heads turn to meet them and they seat themselves without any hassle. An unassuming waiter comes over and asks them for their order.

"I'd just like a water, please," Kurt smiles.

Jesse scratches his head. "Uh, can I get the waffles with chopped strawberries and whipped cream, please?"

The water smiles and walks away, scribbling down their orders.

He quickly comes back with Kurt's water, placing a jug on the table.

Kurt runs his fingers around the rim.

"You're itching to vent about something aren't you?"

"I don't want to keep doing this whenever we talk, it's boring and not a good habit."

Jesse taps his foot against the floor impatiently. "Just...talk about something. Anything."

"Are you okay?"

"Just distract me, okay? Keep talking."

Kurt nods, suddenly finding it hard to summon the words.

"Kurt!"

"Okay, sorry! Uh, so last night I thought about running away."

"You what?"

"I've had enough, Jesse. I can't stand the way Finn walks around the place now. Like he's been wounded at war and came home to people throwing flowers at him. It's insufferable and I can't deal with anymore. My dad is pretty much taking Finn's side and Carole is the only one who's even willing to listen to me. They're still pressing the anger management bullshit and I'm not the one who even needs it. Finn's problems are much more potent than mine. I just get angry when people are stupid."

Jesse breathes deeply. "So what's stopping you?"

"From running away? I don't know, I always have these little ideas. I never go through with them, though."

Jesse just gives him a look, challenging him silently.

"I know, I'm all talk, but I couldn't really run _away_ , could I? I have school and I have a life. Where would I even go?"

"Kurt, running away is a dumb idea. You'd have to always fend for yourself, find a new place to stay, find a way to buy things, all while letting go of everything you've ever known. Do you really think you could do that?"

Kurt shrugs, more out of pride than actual belief. "I think I could."

Jesse raises his eyebrow. "Kurt, this is bigger than handling yourself in high school. Now, I don't want to sound patronising here, but no matter how mature you are, abandoning everything isn't going to go the way you think it is. You're mature, there's no denying that, but you're still in high school. You've lived with your dad your whole life, he's always been there with you."

Kurt waits for Jesse to inevitably continue.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Kurt, the world is fucking terrifying. Everything's uncertain and you have to live by the second. I don't think you're cut out for living like this."

Kurt folds his arm and stands up. "You know what, I'm not going to listen to you lecture me about the big, bad, world. I'm just going to call Santana and ask her to come and get me."

Jesse grabs his arm. "Kurt, sit _down_." His eyes are flashing dangerously and his jaw is hardened. "Just sit down and bring attention to yourself."

Kurt frowns. "Wait, what's going on?"

Jesse's eyes follow two men who leave the diner, the doorbell clanging once again. Like a warning signal. "New people. I wouldn't have recognised them, but I saw a familiar tattoo. We've been spotted."

Kurt leans forward. "And what does that mean, Jesse?"

Jesse sighs, dragging a hand down his face. "It means that you're going to have to lay low while I sort this out. They've seen you, with me, that won't be a coincidence if that happens again. Here's what you're going to do.

"Call Santana, get her to park around the corner and drive you home. Once you're inside, stay inside until I text you. I mean it, Kurt, if you even step foot outside, there's a chance you'll be seen."

"I'm not going to stay inside the whole time, that's impossible."

Jesse sighs, gaze intense. "You will stay inside, Kurt, or you could get hurt, this is important. But if you do all this, I can text you when it's safe. You seem to have mastered the art of ditching school, you need to do it for a few more days while I try and gauge the situation. Promise me, Kurt, that you'll listen to me."

Kurt just nods, dumbstruck by the situation.

His love of the thrill has been vastly overtaken by his fear that had kicked in like a bottle rocket in his heart.

Kurt pulls out his phone and sends a quick text to Santana, followed up by his location.

 _Can you come get me? It's important. I'll explain later._

"So what are you going to do now?"

Jesse bites his lip. "Try to scope out the situation, see if there's a threat here."

"Threat?"

"Kurt—," Jesse begins, but Kurt interjects.

"No, Jesse, I know that I brought this whole thing on myself by calling you, but I did it anyway because I thought you were a good man. I still do, but this situation is so fucked up I can't even describe it. I shouldn't have to hide in my room for days just because you hid out in my den. That's not fair, Jesse."

"I know it's not fair, Kurt, I never wanted this. I didn't know they'd be here."

"It's not about them, it's about you. You should've been more careful."

"Kurt—."

"No! Stop trying to make excuses for this. I'm going to go and wait for Santana. And you can't follow me or it'll be conspicuous. When the coast is clear and everything's fine, don't bother calling me."

Kurt sweeps from the table and storms out of the door.

Jesse sits helplessly, watching Kurt walk around the side of the building until he's no longer visible. He stares at the untouched glass of water opposite as the waiter sets down his plate of waffles.

Jesse finds his appetite is no longer what it was. He pulls out some cash and sets it in the middle of the table, leaving a significant tip.

He leaves the diner and sighs.

How had he dragged Kurt into his mess?

He needed to check on Darius, the man he had shot in the stomach. He had been taken to the hospital, but his latest intel told him that he wasn't doing very good.

Jesse remembers the sound and it paralyzes him until he can no longer breathe.

He's fucked up and now he's possibly fucked Kurt up as well.

Jesse absently wonders if he'll follow the instructions. Wonders whether Kurt will be safe. But he can't worry about that for now.

Even though he can't, it's certainly not going to stop him.


	4. Laying Low

Chapter 4- Laying Low

* * *

"So this guy shows up half-naked in your Den, admitting to having _murdering_ someone, and you're complaining about missing him? That's some fucked up shit, Hummel." Santana scoffs, holding up a picture of Jesse from Kurt's swift social media search.

Kurt bites his lip. "I suppose it is. But I can't help it, Tana. Jesse and I, there's something there. I don't know if it's romantic, but we're connected. He can read my eyes in a way that nobody else can."

Santana hums. "So you can excuse the murder because he can tell when you're upset? You're gonna end up on the news."

Kurt puts his head in his hands. "I know, what am I going to do?"

"You're _going_ to do exactly what the fine white boy told you to do. Lay low. Kurt, you're the wrong person to get caught up in a drug war."

Kurt shifts defensively. "I could do drugs."

Santana scoffs, but not meanly. "Yeah, okay, Harvey Milk."

"So I do what Jesse says. I can do that. Part of me wants to go and find him, though. To make sure he's okay."

"He'll be fine. He's a big boy and from what you've said he's done this type of shit before. He doesn't need to be worrying about you, too. I love you, boy, but you're a liability to him right now. Wait out the storm and you'll be fine."

Kurt nods. "Why do you always have to be right?"

"It's my Mexican third eye," Santana shrugs. "So what are you going to do about Finn?"

"I don't know. What _can_ I do? My dad's adamant that I'm in the wrong and he won't listen to Carole, or to me. Finn's poisoning my good name everywhere he turns and I can't do anything about it."

Santana shrugs. "You could make sure he knows you're not to be messed with."

"I already hit him with a lamp, Santana. If he doesn't know by now, he's clearly too slow to learn."

"You could talk to your Dad, alone. Explain _everything_ that's been going on. Not the Jesse stuff, but everything that's been going on with you. The gas station incident, how things are at school, maybe then he'll take notice. You're his kid, he's gotta be _looking_ for a reason to defend you."

Kurt looks at her, eyes sad. "He shouldn't have to look. He should want to defend me because I'm his only son. Or so he says."

* * *

Jesse flicks the glass beaker idly, huffing.

"Just call him."

Jesse perks up, looking over at Walt who's so clearly sick of his brooding. "Is that what you think I should do?"

"Frankly, I don't really care, Jesse. But you so clearly want to, and the situation's been handled."

Jesse swallows heavily, trying not to think about Walt what had had to do to solve that particular problem.

"I'm just trying to figure out why you said something about this whole thing to somebody who you don't even know if you can trust."

Jesse's brow furrows. "I turned up at Kurt's den, told him I was a murderer and he didn't turn me in. I think that allows a bit of trust, don't you? So, without the lecture, what should I do?"

Walt sighs as he finishes his prep and turns and sits on the bench. "Why can't you just call him again?"

"He told me not to. I told him to lay low and he said that I shouldn't call when it's all over."

"And you believe that's truly what he wants?"

Jesse shrugs. "I think so."

"Then you wait for him to call you. Respect his decision. It's not an easy life to get involved with, Jesse. You know that. Give him some time to figure things out, and if he really wants to see you, he'll call."

Jesse nods. "Yeah. Thanks, Mr. White."

Walt forces a smile before dropping the subject entirely, not telling Jesse that he's convinced this whole thing is going to end in complete chaos.

* * *

Kurt swirls his wooden spoon around the pan of spaghetti that's bubbling and idly picks up his phone. He doesn't know why he's expecting Jesse to have called, considering the last thing Kurt had said to him was to _not_ call. He guesses he expected Jesse to rebel as was his nature.

It isn't in Kurt's nature to sit around and wait for the thing that he wants. Leaving the food to slowly simmer, Kurt finds Jesse's contact details and his finger hovers over the call icon. His finger taps it lightly.

"Smells good," Burt mutters as he steps into the kitchen.

Kurt jumps, startled, and hangs up the call before it can even ring, hoping Jesse at least registers that he tried. "Oh, thanks."

"I haven't seen much of you lately. I don't know what you've been doing in that Den of yours, but it must be pretty important."

Kurt nods. "You've planned a wedding before, you know how it is."

"I do. We're all here if you need help."

"I should be fine. The ceremony is pretty much sorted, I just have some last minute details to arrange for the reception. The menu is done, DJ is hired, I just need to schedule some time for the speeches and performances."

"You're singing something, right? Carole mentioned a duet?"

Kurt smiles grimly. "There was an idea. But we decided that two solos would allow us to more accurately get our messages across."

Burt grins. "Don't you both have the same message?"

"You would think," Kurt shoots back, a little venom hidden in the traces of his intonation.

As soon as Burt lets out a sigh, Kurt knows that it's about to happen. Everything that's been building up for a while now is about to be released, and Kurt's about to look like the bad guy.

"Is something going on with you, kiddo? You're attacking people, skipping school, and you've been more distant than usual."

Kurt turns to Burt, aghast. "I'm starting to think you just don't pay any attention."

Burt stays silent, so Kurt continues. The spaghetti starts to bubble vigorously.

"If your eyes were open, you'd see that my actions have been largely reactive. Finn antagonises me with some of the most offensive things I've ever heard, and somehow I'm the one with something wrong with them. You should be more worried about Finn, he's increasingly paranoid and belligerent."

"I'm done hearing you two blame each other. There's tension in this house and it's down to both of you. No matter how badly he antagonises you, Kurt, you don't hit him with lamps. Something you still haven't apologised for, I noticed."

Kurt actually laughs. "You're joking, right? I'm not apologising for a single thing, Dad. If anything, I apologise for not seeing this coming earlier."

"Kurt, what did Finn _say_ to you? You've never been a violent person."

Kurt feels tears prick at his eyes. "Why don't you ask Finn?"

"I already did."

The spaghetti begins to boil louder now.

"And that's why you think everything's my fault. Because Finn spun some stupid story about how I'm the bad guy."

Burt sighs. "I don't want to argue, Kurt. If you tell me what he said, I might be able to understand your side of the story."

Kurt clenches a jaw, tired of the back and forth. "He equated me to a rapist, some sexual predator who waits behind corners to jump his bones. He said he feels _unsafe_ here, that I make him feel that way. He backed out of doing our duet at the wedding because it would make him uncomfortable and that people would talk."

Burt looks furious.

"And so you understand. And now you have a reason to defend me. Not that you should need one."

"I'm sorry, kiddo. I didn't know it was that serious. I figured it was just some teen angst that you both needed to work through. I'll talk to him. But I still think you should apologise for the lamp."

Smoke rises from the pan. Kurt jolts and calms it.

"I'll apologise when he does." Kurt knows that's not necessarily true, but he really wants to watch Finn pretend like he knows what he did is wrong.

Burt silently makes his leave as Kurt moves his spaghetti onto the plate.

He walks out into the brisk night air, a cold wind washing over him. He studies the ground at the base of the Den, looking for footprints, or any signs that Jesse has been there. Kurt quickly climbs into the Den and scans around. As he's about to descend the stairs again, he thinks about the conversation he had with his Dad and the one he is inevitably going to have with Finn when the time comes. He clambers the rest of the way into the Den and slips a movie into the DVD player.

He sits cross-legged with his food, dialling Jesse's number, free from interruptions now.

" _You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service…"_

Kurt hangs up, sighing. He calls Santana.

"I called him."

Santana groans. "Of course you did. What did he say?"

"I don't know," Kurt chuckles darkly. "He must be blocking my number."

Santana snorts. "You're lucky you have me for this stuff. Jesse's a shady guy, Kurt, he's not going to keep the same phone for too long. Don't just jump to that conclusion. Now the ball is definitely in his court since you literally can't call him. This is going to be good for you."

Kurt sighs. "I hate it when you're right."

"It's both a gift and a curse. Did you talk to your Dad?"

Kurt gapes. "How do you _do_ that? He came to talk to me, asking me why I've been distant lately."

"Wait, he blames you for all of this?"

Kurt laughs mirthlessly. "Yep. At least he did, I might have gotten him to see my side. I think he's going to talk to Finn."

"Well, that's something. Shit, I gotta go. See you at school?"

"See you. Love you, Tana."

"Love you, Liza."

Kurt sets his phone down, realising that the title menu of _Casablanca_ has been playing on rotation. He presses play and sits back, carefully eating his dinner.

From his position, he can just about see the lights of the house. Finn's has been off. His dad's is still on.

As he watches for signs of movement, he's also watching the Den's entrance, wondering (read: hoping) that Jesse will magically pop out of thin air and climb up the ladder with that crooked smile on his face. Kurt pulls himself even tighter at just the thought of that, trying to distract himself with the movie.

 _Casablanca_ is one of his favourites, but even that can't keep his attention from wandering, wondering what Jesse might be doing, if he's okay, if he's going to call.

By the time that Ilsa and Rick arrive at the plane, Kurt has realised that Jesse isn't coming, might not come for a long time. Kurt had said he had wanted space, now he wished he hadn't said anything at all. He'd rather risk getting hurt than have Jesse be M.I.A somewhere he doesn't know about. Having Jesse around is something that he's getting used, something that's becoming a permanent and easy fixture in his life. Talking to Jesse is the best part of his day and he's not even ashamed of that. Sure, Jesse's _occupation_ and lifestyle scare him a little bit, but it's somewhat masochistically exhilarating to know that he's vicariously caught up in something, that he's living through something that's so much bigger than the town he lives in. To know that he's alive is something that Kurt's been seeking for a while and he had always thought he would find it the first time he fell in love. Instead, he's found it by making connections with a drug-dealer.

It's only after the credits roll that Kurt begins to consider that the two might be cut from the same cloth. And that's something that does genuinely scare him.


End file.
